The Power Within
by Assassin of Shadows
Summary: Link has returned to Hyrule and has been living in the castle for five years, but an unexpected visitor sends him to another land to once again stop evil. However he will need more power than he has to succeed.
1. A Past Nightmare

Welcome to my new Fanfiction, The Legend of Zelda: The Power Within! I've been terrible in maintaining my first Fanfiction because I've been reading more than writing and also been more caught up with my Gamecube in my spare time than writing. However a friend of mine has inspired me to start writing again due to her rapid upadates to a fic that she planned to write and discussed ideas with me. So I'd like to dedicate this first chapter to my friend and fellow author Erenriel the Elven Canuck! She's a great author whose works are full of both action and laughs. But mostly laughs. She admits insanity (she openly talks to disembodied the voices in her head) and she's a slave to her passions of Playstation, Manga Comics, and Anime! I highly recommend her fics! 

And now without further ado, I present….

The Legend of Zelda:

The Power Within

Chapter One: A Past Nightmare

_Majora's Lair_

_Link groaned as he staggered to his feet. Pain burned like fire throughout his body as he stared with hatred at the creature before him. _

_The entity known as Majora's Mask laughed mockingly at the young hero._

"_HAHAHAH! GIVE IT UP BOY! YOU'RE NO MATCH FOR MY POWER!"_

_Link narrowed his eyes and stood in defiance, unwilling to give up. He did not know how long he had been fighting nor did he care. The only thing on his mind was stopping this monster before it destroyed Termina. He had defeated the creature's first form surprised at it's lack of power for an item that had caused so much trouble, until it had called forth the very masks that Link had used to unlock the chamber they fought in to attack him. Link was able to destroy the masks with his bow while dodging the attacks of Majora's Mask and once again turned his attention to the floating menace. He was surprised again when the mask sprouted arms and legs and began dashing around the room at blinding speeds. Link took several powerful blows from this new incarnation before he even had a chance to retaliate. He managed to recover in time to reveal the mask he sealed the Goron hero Darmani's spirit into and put it on. He felt the familiar pain of transforming that he had grown accustomed to and then prepared to even the odds. He rolled around the room drawing out the powerful spikes that only few gorons had achieved the ability to use and entered a nightmarish game of high-speed tag with both of the competitors taking painful hits. Link panted as he removed the mask as the new form of Majora's Mask fell. But the creature rose again with a cry and transformed once again into a muscular monster with a hideous face and long whips for arms. Link's eyes went wide as the monster lashed out with its whips. He managed to raise his shield in time to block the sting of the attack but the sheer force sent him flying. He rose just in time to counter another lash with his sword but he failed to block the other from striking him in the side. He hit the floor hard and slid several feet. He rose again and charged toward his assailant, ignoring the pain in his body. He dodged one whip and blocked the other with his sword. He leaped into the air and slashed at the monster's head but the creature leapt aside and lashed out again striking the young hero in mid-air and sending him crashing into the wall. He now stood facing the monster that was mocking him after enduring that last blow._

"_YOU STILL DEFY ME! GGRRRAAAWWW!"_

_Majora's Wrath struck again drawing gashes in Link's arms and legs. Link staggered under the assault and dropped to one knee, jabbing his sword in the ground for support. Blood dripped from his wounds as stared at the floor panting heavily._

"_YOU HAVE NO HOPE OF DEFEATING ME! MY POWER IS BEYOND YOUR COMPREHENSION!"_

_The monster's laugh echoed throughout the chamber causing Link's anger to rise._

"_I..." he gasped. "will...not...let you...win."_

_He rose slowly to his feet with new determination._

"_OH? AND HOW DO YOU PLAN ON STOPPING ME?"_

_Link did not answer. In truth, he did not know. He had fought with all is strength and skill and he couldn't even land a blow. None of his items would work and his masks were no match for Majora's Wrath either. But he would not give up..._

_Link stood his ground as Majora Wrath waited for an answer. He gritted his teeth as he wrestled for some idea. Then...he felt a growing presence in his mind. A feeling of some sort that urged him to reach into his item bag. He complied and his hand seemed to automatically grasp something. He withdrew a mask. A strange mask that he had acquired after giving up his other non-transformation masks just before his fight with Majora's Mask. He did not know why but he felt that he should put this mask on. But what good would it do? He had already tried the mask on just before the battle and it did nothing. He stared at it intensely. The mask was beautifully crafted. It had red markings under each cheek beneath the eyes, a blue mark that descended down its forehead between it's eyes and back up again, and it had silverish-white hair. It looked surprisingly like Link's older face from his time fighting with Ganondorf. Link stared at its hollow eyes before turning it over and raising it to his face. The mask fit perfectly over his face and as soon as it did he felt a sudden surge of new pain course through his body. But it wasn't the pain he felt from his other transformation masks, it was a surge of sheer power that raced throughout him so much that it hurt. Link staggered back and forth as he felt his body change. He grew taller, his muscles bulged, and his face changed to that of the mask. Silver-white hair, red marks under and around his eyes, blue mark across his forehead, and pale white eyes. His clothes changed as well for he no longer wore his green tunic and floppy hat. His green tunic had been replaced with a silver tunic with an armoured breastplate covering his chest. Dark blue tights covered his arms and legs and emphasised powerful new muscles. Dark silver gauntlets with red bands now adorned his forearms and hands but his fingers were bare. A silver version of his long floppy cap had replaced his green one. Link rose to his full height now over nine feet, his body refreshed and coursing with raw power. But Link was not fully conscious of his new form. He was still aware of his surroundings and he was amazed at what had just happened, but there was something else in his mind almost as if another consciousness had merged with his own. He looked down at his hands and flexed them feeling the force in his grip. He looked at his sword lying on the ground in front of him and reached down to pick it up. He stared at his reflection in the blade for a moment before raising it over his head. The Gilded Sword glowed brightly as it grew and changed form. Link brought the glowing blade back down as the light dimmed to reveal a twisted helix sword as long as he was tall. Link was only half-aware of doing this; the other presence he felt seemed to take over Link's motor skills. He looked to his side at the malevolent entity at the centre of the room and turned to face him, cold rage the only thing showing on his otherwise emotionless face. He had transformed into Oni Link, the Fierce Deity._

"_WHAT IS THIS! HOW DID YOU...! IMPOSSIBLE!"_

_Majora's Wrath roared with fury as it lashed out with its whip arms. Oni Link raised his sword and deflected both attacks as if he were swatting two keese. He then responded by gripping the sword with both hands and raising it over his head and behind his back. Energy crackled from the blade as Oni Link delivered a mighty slash in front of him sending out a blast of pure power that caught Majora's Wrath full in the centre of his mask body and sent him flying. The creature screamed in pain as flew and struck the floor._

"_HOW...DARE YOU! DIE!"_

_Majora's Wrath rose and lashed out again. Oni Link dodged the attacks and charged forward, holding his sword to the side. He slashed at his opponent's side but the monster leapt away then spun in circles rapidly swinging his deadly arms. Oni Link was knocked back by the attack but quickly regained his feet and charged again. The monster lashed out again while spinning with deadly force. Oni Link swung his sword and severed the tentacle before it could strike him._

"_AAAARRRRRGGGGHHHHH!" Majora's Wrath roared in surprised pain._

_He lashed out again only to have the warrior hack off his other whip-arm. Oni Link swung his sword horizontally and unleashed another blast of energy that struck the monster and sent waves of crackling power throughout its body. Majora's Wrath screamed in agony and gave Oni Link an open chance to stab his blade in between the eyes of the mask body. For a second everything was still._

"_That mask..." Majora's Wrath groaned. "How did you...you couldn't...it's been dormant for centuries..."_

_Then a cracking sound was heard as spidery lines began forming from where the blade was embedded, bright light spilling out of each one. A powerful explosion ripped the mask and body of the final incarnation of Majora's Mask apart and blew Oni Link into the wall behind him. When Link's eyes opened he was back on the top of the clock tower, lying on his chest. He slowly pushed himself to his knees. His sword and shield were lying to the side, his Gilded Sword had returned too normal. On the ground directly in front of him was the mask that had just saved him and Termina. He picked it up with both hands and stared at it. He was amazed at how much power he had felt. It was unlike anything he had ever experienced before and he shuddered at how easily he had beaten Majora's Mask with it. A cracking sound snapped him out of his thoughts. He watched as the mask split apart into two pieces in his hands and then crumbled altogether. In the space of a few moments, two of the most powerful items he had ever seen had been destroyed._

Link awoke with a start and sat up in his bed. He panted heavily for a while before looking around slowly. He was still in his room. He was eighteen, not ten. He was in Hyrule, not Termina. It was only a dream, but to Link it was more of a nightmare. It had been a long time since he had fought in that terrible battle but he could recall it clearly just as he could recall his battle with Ganondorf. He remembered the ancient mask taking over his body, turning him into a destructive force and raining death on Majora's Mask. It was an experience burned into his memory. He sighed and got out of bed and walked to the window. It was early in the morning. The sun had not even shown itself yet though it's faint light could be seen in the distance. Link sighed again, turned, and walked to his dresser. He wouldn't be able to sleep now anyway. He dressed himself in his usual attire. White under tunic with tight sleeves, matching leggings, green tunic, green hat, and brown, fingerless gauntlets. He ran his finger through his golden blonde hair before flopping on his hat. He put his boots on and then walked over to a chair in the corner of his room where his sword, shield, and belt with item bag were set. He never felt right without having his gear on. He strapped on his equipment and then headed for the door. He stepped out into the hallway and made his way towards the castle gates. He had come to live in the castle upon invitation of the princess Zelda about five years ago. He waved at the castle guard who greeted him at the entrance of the castle.

"Morning, Link!" he said cheerfully. "Bit early isn't it?"

Link shrugged. "Couldn't sleep so I decided to go out for awhile."

"Alright. See ya later!" the guard opened the gate for him.

Link thanked him and left. He remembered in his other life walking up this road for the first time as a kid trying to reach the Princess of Destiny and the same guard not letting him through and then having to sneak inside a dodge the other guards that were on patrol. He grinned to himself now that he could walk freely about without any trouble. One of the many ironies of life. Link continued on towards the city below the castle as the sun's first morning rays peaked over the horizon behind him.

Author's Note: So whatcha think so far? Sound interesting? Please review and let me know. I promise to update quickly so in the meantime if you like Zelda fics and a couple of Soul Calibur ones with Link check out the stories in my favourites. And don't forget Erenriel's fics as well!


	2. The Beautiful and Famous Angel

All right! Chapter 2 up already! See? I'm already doing better than my first fic!

PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!

Chapter 2:

The Beautiful and Famous Angel

Link entered Hyrule's Castle Town as the sun began to shower the land with its golden rays. He felt its warmth on his back driving away the early morning chill. Link made his way to the Market Square where most of the activity would be later in the day. Link always wondered why it was called Castle Town when it was more of a city; but then again it probably started out as a small town before Hyrule's days of prosperity. He entered the Square and saw merchants setting up stands and preparing to sell their wares. The sight brought a smile to his face as he remembered seeing this place for the first time. People were running and shouting left and right, crowding around booths and stores and waving rupees around like there was no tomorrow. Such commotion was surprising, amazing, and frightening to a boy who had spent his life in the forest. It was to be expected that he soon got lost in all the commotion and was lucky to bump into the girl named Malon. The cheerful farm girl was Link's first friend outside of the forest and she gladly helped Link find his way to the castle. The memory brought another smile to his face and also told him what he wanted to do. He passed through the Square and walked down the large street that led to the city gates. The drawbridge had already been lowered and he left the city without incident. Though it was a fair distance away he decided to walk to Lon Lon Ranch rather than call on his faithful horse, Epona. The walk, he decided, would do him good and help to clear his mind, besides Epona was probably at the ranch already. Link followed the path leading to the famous ranch taking a look around the land as he did. He always appreciated how beautiful the land he had worked so hard to protect was. He could see the mountain range where the Gorons lived and the ring of clouds around Death Mountain. Far off in the distance he could see the edge of the forest where he had spent his childhood and where his journey as the Hero of Time began. Link entered the borders of Lon Lon Ranch after a few hours of walking. The ranch had grown exponentially during the past several years and was famous in the countries outside of Hyrule as well. Talon was able to expand the ranch dramatically after he began exporting Lon Lon Milk to other countries. Malon's name was well known in many places as well for she had become a famous horse breeder at a young age. The care and devotion she showed to her horses resulted in magnificent animals that had even caught the attention of royalty in other countries. Malon could have easily started a large ranch of her own but she chose to remain in Hyrule with her father and helped expand the ranch even further. They now had more money than they could ever hope to spend and Link was glad that the money they had earned did not change them and they remained hardworking, cheerful, and generous people. Link approached the ranch site and passed through the gate. He quickened his pace slightly, anxious to see Malon. The sun had been fully visible for couple of hours and Link knew Malon would have been up for awhile now. He saw various ranch hands walking about and performing their various chores. Some of them whistled, while others chatted with each other cheerfully while they worked. Link was greeted by some of them and he grinned and waved back. He looked around for Malon and spotted her familiar figure over by the corals, singing happily while she brushed down one of her horses. Link jogged towards her and called out to her while waving. He saw her turn her neck towards him with a surprised expression before he was painfully reminded that horses were not the only things that Malon was famous for. Link's running entrance was stopped when he was tackled by a large figure. They rolled a few times before Link found himself on his back and staring into the eyes of a large, growling wolfos. Link froze as the monster lowered its head towards his, lips curled upwards to show its teeth. Link closed his eyes with fearful anticipation and was rewarded with the wolfos's long, wet tongue smothering his face.

"Gah! Get off me you big mutt!" Link grunted as he tried with little success to push the large creature off of him. He laughed.

"HAHA! Come on! HAHAHA! Cut it out!"

Malon had by now made her way to Link's aid while laughing the whole time.

"C'mon Strike!" She giggled as she helped pull the wolfos off of its helpless victim. "Get off!"

Link gasped for air as he wiped the slobber of his face. "Ugh! When are you going to train that thing to quit doing that?"

"He only does it to you, Fairy Boy!" Malon laughed petting the canine that was now sitting on its haunches beside her.

"Lucky me." Link sighed as he got back to his feet.

A few years ago both Malon and Saria had each managed to tame one of the deadly animals. They found them at different times but they tamed them with the same methods. Both of the creatures were wounded badly. Malon had found hers while riding on of her horses through the fields of her ranch while Saria found hers while walking about the Lost Woods. The wolfos were both young and the two girls treated the injuries of their respected animals and they had been with them ever since. Malon's wolfos was male while Saria had found a female and now as a result, the Kokiri Forest had its own pack of Wolfos Guardians while Malon had a pack on the Ranch with her. Malon did not sell any of them but rather kept them as pets and as a result Malon's name is known far and wide for her horses and as the girl who tamed the wolfos. Saria on the other hand did not wish for that kind of attention to be brought to the forest and therefore few people knew about her wolfos and those that did knew about her wishes and kept quiet about it. Malon's care also had an effect on her wolfos and they grew to be larger, smarter, and in every way more powerful than any wild wolfos Link had ever seen. The Wolfos Guardians were nothing to shake a sword at either. Link stared at Strike, the wolfos that Malon had found, marvelling at how big he was. When he sat he was eye level to Link and even taller when he rose on his hind legs.

"There aren't any more waiting to for me, are there?" Link asked looking around.

Malon laughed and shook her head. "I don't think so. Strike was with me until a few minutes ago when he suddenly took off. He must have caught your scent. So what are you up to today?"

Link grinned. "Well I woke up this morning and thought that I should come out and see if the rumours were true."

"Rumours? What rumours?" Malon asked with a curious expression.

"I heard that there was a stunning angel that had descended from heaven to live on this ranch and I must say that I can now make a full confirmation."

Malon laughed and shook her head. Link grinned again. He liked it when she laughed. Her radiant smile always seemed to brighten his day no matter what gloom hung over his head. She was indeed beautiful; Link had always known this. He believed her to be cute when he first met her though he didn't think much of it at the time. Now she had matured into a slender young woman whose long red hair would move like fire in the wind, captivating all who saw her. Because of this Talon more readily accepted her wolfos, as they would regularly bring him many unfortunate males who tried to sneak around the ranch when the gates were closed to see her. The poor guys thought that it would be easier to sneak into an area that didn't have armed guards patrolling day and night like at the castle. Wrong! The wolfos would deliver their whimpering captives to Talon where he could…chat with them. As of yet not a single one had gone unnoticed by the keen senses of the wolfos. Surprisingly, Malon knew nothing of this little underground operation.

"It's so good to see you, Link." Malon smiled as she wrapped her arms around him.

Link hugged her back, relishing the embrace, and then spun around in couple quick circles lifting Malon off her feet.

"Hey!" she shouted and giggled as she spun through the air. Link brought her smoothly down to the ground again.

"You're such a goof!" Malon laughed giddily.

Link shrugged and smiled. "If you say so. How are you doing?"

Malon turned to walk back to the horse she was grooming still smiling. Link followed her.

"Things have been going well here. Dad seems happy cause he's about to sign a contract with another store overseas to sell milk, cream, and butter and I'm getting this horse ready for a potential buyer." Malon brushed the horses mane as Link gave the horse a once over. The stallion was a sandy brown colour with blonde mane and tail and hazelnut eyes. Link could tell it was strong and sure-footed from the way it stood and it was well trained for it was standing freely outside of the corral without a halter on. It was a fine animal that could be expected from Malon's reputation.

"Whoever gets this horse is going to be very happy. He's a beauty." Link walked up to the stallion and gave him an appreciative pat. The horse seemed to know whom Link was referring to and gave a proud snort.

"I think that's his way of thanking you, Link." Putting the brush into an empty bucket that she had brought grain in. "Would you mind opening the corral for me?"

"Sure." Link walked over to the gate and swung it open. Malon gave the horse a pat on the rump and it walked through the gate to join the other horses. Link closed the gate and turned to see Malon rubbing Strike, who was lying down, vigorously behind his ears and Strike in turn licking Malon's face. Link couldn't help but chuckle.

"Now there's a sight you probably won't see anywhere else. Seeing you two it would be hard to tell that those guys are really vicious wild animals."

"Oh, they haven't lost that side of them. If they feel that something isn't right then they turn mean. A lot scarier than Stike's little attack on you just a few minutes ago."

"I certainly wouldn't want to fight him if he was wild. I think he could take on an average sized pack of them on his own if he wanted too and even a single wolfos is a dangerous beast."

"Well I haven't seen any of my wolfos get into any fights other than the playful scuffles with each other, though when I first saw one of those I thought the two were gonna kill each other. I do keep finding large bones buried around the ranch though. But they're not from people or any of our animals. I think they're from those skeleton monsters that like to roam around the Field at night from time to time."

"Wouldn't surprise me." Link chuckled.

Malon scratched Strike for a few more seconds before standing up.

"Let's go inside for a drink." She said turning towards the house.

"Gladly." Link followed. "I'm parched."

The two of them walked to the new house that Talon had renovated from his old one. Now the place was more like a mansion than a house. Strike sat up and walked in another direction.

"Where's he going?" Link asked.

Malon shrugged. "Probably to check on the cubs."

She opened the door to the building and walked in. The interior of the house was still a shock to Link. There was a large circular fireplace in the centre of the house that rose up to the ceiling and was surrounded by two semicircular benches with plenty of squashy cushions. To the left of the fireplace was a large area with more benches and cushions where people could relax and chat. A large bookcase could be found against the wall in this area as well. To the right was the dining area. A large and beautifully carved wooden table stood there with a fancy chandelier above it. The table was big enough to sit everybody on the ranch and still be big enough for that many more people. On the other side of the table was a door that led to the well-maintained and well-stocked kitchen. In each of the four corners of the main part of the house was a winding staircase that led to a railing that ran all the way around the top of the room and led to the various rooms for the ranch hands. Directly in front of Malon and Link, past the fireplace, was a large staircase that led to the third and fourth floor. The second floor railing could also be reached from here. The third floor had rooms for guests as well as a few other rooms one of which was a game room where many evenings were spent playing cards or throwing darts and such. There was also a large room where Ingo, the lead ranch hand lived. The fourth floor consisted of two grand rooms that belonged to Talon and Malon. A door behind the staircase led to an enormous bathhouse with two separate swimming pool sized tubs for men and women. Malon usually had the one tub to herself unless they had company. Another room in the bathhouse held a steam sauna. A pan of large rocks were heated over a fire in a hole in the centre of the room and buckets of water were poured over these rocks to form steam.

All in all it was an exceptionally comfortable place to live.

Malon led Link to the kitchen where she opened the cool cabinet and withdrew two bottles of Lon Lon Milk. The cabinet was kept cold by a bottle of Blue Fire that sat on a tray that was suspended from the top of the cabinet. Blue Fire was a magical fire that burned so cold that it froze almost anything it touched. The flame would last so long that a jar of it would last for a months before it needed to be replaced. The tray that held the jar of blue flame was positioned in such a way that the flame wouldn't be close enough to freeze anything but kept food well preserved and ice-cold. Talon had a separate container that used jars of Blue Fire to freeze meats and other foods for long period storage. Malon gave one bottle to Link who uncorked it and drained half of its contents in one go.

"Delicious." Link sighed, a look of pure content and satisfaction on his face.

Malon smiled as she watched Link happily drain the rest of the bottle while she took a sip of her own. She always enjoyed seeing Link and loved to spend time with him. He was her best friend and she cherished him dearly. His piercing blue eyes were Malon's favourite feature. She loved to look into those eyes that portrayed so much about him. Focused at times, carefree at others, innocent and yet tainted from countless battles and bloodshed, but always seeming calm and peaceful. Those eyes truly made Link an enigma. Malon sighed.

"What's wrong?" Link asked

"Hmm? Oh…nothing." Malon shook her head before smiling. "So how's life at the castle?" she asked.

Link looked at her for a second and then shrugged. "Oh the usual I guess. Diplomats and ambassadors come in from time to time to talk with the king and other stuff that goes along with ruling a country. It would be boring if the knights of the castle didn't constantly challenge me to duels to see if they can beat me. Plus I get to go where I please so the castle isn't really a restraint."

"So if you can go anywhere, where do you go?"

"Oh around. Depends on my mood I guess. Sometimes I go back to the forest for awhile and visit with Saria and the others. I also like to go up to Death Mountain every now and then."

Link and Malon walked over to one of the fireplace couches and sat down. Link stretched out his arms and legs before relaxing in a comfortable position while Malon tucked her feet underneath of her and sat with her elbow on the backrest while supporting her head with her fist.

"The Gerudo Fortress is a place I like to go to for some exercise and training whenever I get real bored or want to blow off some stream."

"What about Zora's Domain?" Malon asked.

Link cringed. "I prefer to stay away from there. At least until Ruto finds someone her own species to through herself on."

Malon laughed at Link. She had forgotten that the Zora Princess, Ruto, had a large crush on the young hero and Link's face made it all that more entertaining.

"Hey! That's not funny!" Link glared at her.

Malon couldn't help herself. "Yes it is!" she replied between giggles.

"Gah!" Link shook his head while he waited for Malon to calm down.

"Ok, so Zora's Domain is out. Where else?" Malon was still shaking slightly with inner laughter.

"Well…" Link rose. "One of my favourite places is right here with you." He grinned roguishly before walking back for another bottle of milk.

Malon stopped shaking almost instantly and thought about what she had just heard. She blushed slightly and smiled at the knowledge that of all the places and people the Hero of Time could choose to go to, his favourite place was here with her. She turned her head to look at him. He had uncorked another bottle and was already half done it. She watched him gulp down the rest of the bottle, his eyes closed. She had a million thoughts racing through her head. Did he really enjoy spending time with her? She loved nothing more than to spend time with him, but did he feel the same way? If he didn't he wouldn't come out here, silly, she told herself. He certainly acted different when he was around her, like he was more relaxed. Did she have that effect on him? Link must have sensed her looking at him for he turned with a worried expression.

"Is something wrong?"

Malon snapped out of her thoughts in shock. "Huh? Ummm…no…nothing's wrong." She shook her head, turned around, and flushed a deep red. She heard Link's footsteps approach and felt him place a hand on her shoulder. She flushed deeper.

"Malon…are you alright?" Link asked concerned.

"Uh..er..yeah I'm fine. Really!" She nodded her head vigorously, not turning to face him.

"You sure?"

"Uh-huh!" Malon nodded again while standing up quickly. "Excuse me for a minute! I..uh..have to check on something!""

She dashed towards the door that would take her to the bathhouse. Link watched her go, a confused look on his face.

He scratched his head. "Was it something I said?"

Author's Note: Chapter 2 done! On to chapter 3! WHOOHOOO! So what you think so far? Sound interesting, boring, too predictable, what? I need to know so I can decide whether or not to improve something or leave it as is. I'm all ears! The more reviews I get, the faster my updates will be!


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